November 2012

Earlier this summer, news hit the streets that chef Anthony Rose, previously of The Drake Hotel, had planned to open not one, not two, but three new Toronto restaurants. Last week, he opened his first Rose and Sons establishment — on his 40th birthday — in the former People’s Foods space, which had been a neighbourhood staple for around 50 years.

This is a powerful, fruit-driven Aussie shiraz. Deep ruby in colour, with a minty-menthol nose of ripe blackberries with a spicy cedar note. On the palate, expect a ripe blackberry flavour with a savoury herbal note and a firm tannic finish.

Riverside’s Loïc Gourmet will close its doors this holiday season after almost five years in business. The gourmet take-out spot was known for its decadent French-inspired fare, including rotisserie chicken and terrine.

It didn’t take long for restaurateur-in-the-making Harry Wareham to realize that an old Leslieville warehouse at Queen and Carlaw was the perfect spot to open a new restaurant. Passing through the storefront, he entered a massive, cavernous space that was teeming with history. It would make for a stunning dining room. He called his business partner, Daniel Clarke, immediately.

Tom Papachristou has no qualms about it: “This is my first restaurant,” he says. “I’m learning day by day.” Retsina, a stone’s throw from Allan Gardens, is a month-old eatery serving up Greek cuisine. After pursuing chemistry in university, Papachristou decided a life dictated by science was not for him, and he opted to throw himself into the dining world instead.

Kanji Sushi & Sake Bar opened back in August, and it has been supplying the Parkdale set with sushi ever since. The work of entrepreneur Rob Banton, Kanji — which refers to one set of characters in Japan’s modern writing system — sees chef James Gao behind the sushi bar. There, he turns out fusion fare like a spicy salmon mix tucked into Pringles chips, along with a variety of rolls decked out in French and Italian-influenced sauces.

Yorkville is getting in on Toronto’s cupcake craze in a big way: first, Dlish cupcakes recently opened a new location in the ’hood, and now Prairie Girl Bakery is moving in. According to Prairie Girl President Jean Blacklock, the cupcakery will be opening its third location at 150 Bloor Street West on March 1.

It’s been a year since barista Sameer Mohamed opened Fahrenheit Coffee at its current location, and that’s good news for coffee drinkers in the ’hood. The coffee shop is celebrating its first birthday tomorrow with free drinks — and anything on the menu is game. And some added frosting on the birthday cake: all tips will be donated to the Movember cause.